Vastu For Home Office

A ‘home office’ as the name suggests is an office within the house. Whether you work from home full time, or you like to get extra work done on the weekends when you are not in your workplace anymore, having a home office is a great option for any working professional. There are many advantages in working from a home office such as saving the cost of renting a commercial space, cost of commute to work, cost of childcare, cost of clothes etc. Therefore nowadays, many people are choosing to work from a home office. 

With a home office, you must have a dedicated space where you will be able to concentrate and complete your tasks. Since a home office is a business setup, you will want to ensure good output, increased profit and efficiency in work and a distraction free space. Usually the home office is preferred close to the entrance of the house to facilitate easy access for outside clients.

So, is there a way to make the home office a productive and stress-free place of work? Well, according to Vastu Shastra, the right placement of the home office in the house, the furniture, lighting and the colours, can ensure that it becomes a efficient space where you can focus and produce quality work.

Listed here, are some of the Vastu Guidelines for a home office. Since Vastu Shastra is a science, every guideline is based on logic and reasoning. 

ACCORDING TO VASTU SHASTRA WHERE SHOULD THE HOME OFFICE BE LOCATED?

• Best option for home office location: South or West
• Avoid: North-East direction

The ideal location of the Home Office is in the South or West sector: The Reason – The North and East sectors are reserved for puja room, living room, dining room etc because these are the spaces most used by you in the early mornings. The North and the East are the directions from which the useful morning light and constant north-light enter the house and bathe you with useful UV rays. So it is pointless to block these directions with any space like an office, which you will use only later in the morning.

Avoid a Home Office in the North-East sector of the house. The Reason- The same as above.

WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR DOOR AND WINDOW POSITIONS IN THE HOME OFFICE?

The Entrance Door to the Home Office should face South side. The Reason – The South is generally considered the best for businesses. Probably that is the reason the door is preferred on the South.

Avoid the main Entrance on the North side. The Reason – Since it is preferable to have as many windows in the North to allow useful light into the office, the door should be avoided on this side.

Make sure that there are no obstacles in front of any door of the office. The Reason – Imagine entering a room or office and encountering an obstruction right in front. Every time, before you enter, your mind warns you to avoid bumping into it. Though you may get used to it over time, unconsciously your brain gets stressed and gradually you may even prefer to avoid the place.

The windows should preferably be on the North and East sides. The Reason – There is constant light from the North because India is in the northern hemisphere and there is morning sunlight from the East, which is very beneficial for health since the UV rays of the morning light are useful for producing synthesising vitamin D in our bodies.

Large windows ensure constant light in the Office

WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR FURNITURE ARRANGEMENT IN THE HOME OFFICE?

Always position the furniture in the South and West sectors of the room. The Reason- The furniture should be restricted in the South and West sectors, so that the North and East part are left clear and empty.

Avoid furniture or closets in the North or East of the room. Keep the North and East sectors clear/empty. The Reason – The North and East sectors of a room are to be left open (without obstructions) to allow the useful and constant light from these directions to permeate the rest of the office.

The central area of the Office should be kept empty. The Reason – From a designers point of view, it is always best to keep the centre clear and limit the furniture against the walls, so as to facilitate easy movement  around the office and create an uncluttered look.

WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE RECEPTION IN A HOME OFFICE?

The right place for the reception counter is the North-East part of the office. The Reason – The reception counter and visitors seating are considered the least heavy of all furniture arrangements. Hence they can be placed in the North-East where there is a lot of light and will not be an obstruction. Moreover, a visitor gets a good first impression, if the reception is well lit.

The receptionist should sit facing the North or East direction. The Reason – Since the receptionist is at the office for most of the day, it would help if she gets useful light as it will make her energetic, positive and is good for her health.

WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR A SAFE IN A HOME OFFICE?

The safe should be in the North part of the room. The Reason – The inside of a safe is dark and it is always better that the safe is in a well lit area like the North, so that one can see clearly into the safe.

Store all the important documents in a cupboard placed in the South-West direction. The Reason – Generally the cupboards are preferred in the hottest area of a built-space, the South-West corner, because they act as buffers to the heat. In addition, the heat prevents any kind of dampness or fungal growth from forming on things stored for long periods in this direction.

WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE OWNER’S DESK IN A HOME OFFICE?

It is advisable to have a rectangular desk for the Owner of the company. The Reason – The most efficient shape is the rectangle. A rectangular table wastes less space, can hold more paper work and can seat more people than any other shaped table of the same area.

The desk should be placed in the South-West quadrant of the room. Avoid the North or East part. The Reason – The desk will be an obstruction in the North and East sectors and prevent the constant and useful light from permeating the office from these directions.

The desk should face North, East or North-East. Avoid facing South or West while working. The Reason – It is always beneficial to face the East direction, early in the morning and the North direction through the day since there is constant sunlight form the North. The sunlight contains  useful UV rays which help in synthesising vitamin D which is so essential for good health.

WHAT ARE THE VASTU GUIDELINES FOR THE EMPLOYEES, (IF ANY)?

Keep the North and East zones for the middle level employees. The Reason – In an office  with lots of employees, you cannot help but use all the sectors. So, though the North- East sector should be left clear, you can have your middle level employees in the North and East, as they can benefit from the sunlight and  feel more energetic and think better.

Reserve the North-West portion for the lower level employees. The Reason -The lower level  employees  can be given the remaining North-West sector.

The employees should not sit under a beam. In case the beam cannot be avoided, cover it with a false ceiling. The Reason – Sitting under a beam puts a load on your mind literally. Without realising it, your mind is constantly distracted by the beam sticking out of the ceiling. So it is better to cover it with a false ceiling.

The employees should not sit under beams.

The best location for the pantry is in the South-East or North-West zone. The Reason – This is adapted from the vastu guideline that a kitchen should always be in the South-East or the North-West. 

The appropriate location for the Toilet is the  South-West direction. The Reason – The toilets are preferred in the South-West where it is the hottest, because they are buffers to the rest of the house. moreover, the heat prevents dampness and algae in the often wet toilets.

The Vastu Guidelines are very similar to the guidelines used by modern Architects in designing a house. To read about an Architect’s guidelines on the Design of an Office, go to: Designing An Office

So now you can see how important it is to improve the ambiance and energy in a home office through design. Sometimes, the Home Office doubles up as a Study Room. There is a lot of emphasis on having Useful Sunlight in the Office to improve the performance of the employees and keep them energetic and positive.